DENVER — When a migrant showed up at Anita Allegranzi's doorstep on April 21, telling her he was looking to rent her home, she had hoped it was a one-off situation.
"Doorbell rang, I answered the door, the person that spoke to me said, 'I’m here to see the house that’s available to rent' and I said, 'I’m sorry, you have the wrong address,'" Allegranzi recalled. "And he then showed me pictures of my home and I said, 'I’m sorry this house is not for rent. My husband and I live here. We’ve lived here for 26 years.'"
Allegranzi did her best to explain the circumstances through broken Spanish, then closed her door.
"While I was closing the door, I could see the sadness in his face," Allegranzi said.
Upon reflecting, she said she wished she had asked more questions, but figured she wouldn't have a similar encounter anytime soon.
Less than a week later, she was proven otherwise.
"On the 28th, I got a second knock on the door and it was a family wanting to see the house that was for rent," Allegranzi said.
This time, she asked more questions to figure out how these people kept finding their way to her home. She said they showed her messages back and forth with an individual over WhatsApp. Messages asked the prospective renter to send a $1,000 deposit for the rental. One message from the alleged scammer disclosed Allegranzi's address.
"I tell them, 'This house is not for rent,' and they just look at me and tell me they saw it on Facebook," Allegranzi said. "Why would this be going on? Then I realized that people are using this particular need as an opportunity to enrich themselves."
Again, Allegranzi broke the bad news that these people had likely been scammed and had to turn them away.
After two similar incidents, she filed a complaint with Denver Police.
Police said law enforcement is investigating her report based on the information she provided on April 28. The police said it's familiar with similar rent scams where someone claims to have a property available and takes money as "down payments."
In a statement to 9NEWS, Denver Police said people should always vet the information they may see in regards to a home or rental:
"We know finding that perfect rental property can be a daunting task. But before you send any money, not only should you meet the property owner or property manager in person to inspect the residence. Before you provide any funds, you should review and sign a lease. Additionally, if you are asked to wire transfer funds, pay in the form of gift cards, or ship cash, it is likely a scam."
"They informed me that this happens all the time," Allegranzi said, recounting her conversation with an officer.
Allegranzi had hoped she wouldn't run into another hopeful migrant ready to move in to her home, but on May 1, she had a third, unexpected visitor.
"And they traveled all the way from Westminster to come and see the home and I told them it’s not for rent and they had been scammed," Allegranzi said.
Allegranzi said she used the information she gathered from the second incident and showed the third migrant family. She said they confirmed they had interacted with the same person. Luckily, they hadn't sent any money and had been looking to see more of the home first.
"I told her that she and any migrant friends she has they cannot trust what they see on Facebook," Allegranzi said.
Allegranzi said she hasn't been mad about her home being used in the scam, but she is upset that someone out there is scamming people in vulnerable situations.
"I’d ask you to stop it," Allegranzi said. "That is the most unkind thing to do, is to take people’s money for a lie, a scam, just to make yourself richer. That’s terrible."
Allegranzi said she wishes she could do more to help people who continue to show up at her door.
"It’s frustration because I can’t help them. Because I can’t tell them go to this address," Allegranzi said. "There’s not even a reference I can give them."
She said she hopes a city resource can help place people in need.
Denver Human Services (DHS) has a landlord program where people can submit their interest in supporting newcomers with rental opportunities.
DHS spokesperson Jon Ewing said it doesn't typically deal with many scammers through the program but knows "scamming is rampant." He said working with non-profits and having Denver police officers go to people directly in the city's shelter system helps avoid these situations.
Denver's District Attorney's office said the rental scam predates the arrival of migrants in the city.
Maro Casparian said she's very aware of scams, working closely on fraud and outreach. She said there are lots of current scams that target migrants.
She said she is working on finding someone who would be able to distribute flyers with "basic 101 scam information." She said she's currently looking for outreach opportunities, but in the meantime, encouraged people who feel they may have been a victim of a scam to call the DA's fraud hotline at 720-913-9179.
"It’s very emotional," Allegranzi said. "They’re here. Let’s help them."
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